Are You a Zombie?

Is your life sometimes on “automatic”?

I attended a talk by a well-known author last night. I had high expectations for the value of his talk, and invited a number of friends to attend with me. Fortunately, most begged off attending, and the talk was a disappointment.

While the talk was billed as being about actions to consider in America today, author spoke mostly about information provided in a book written by someone else 50 years ago, which could be applicable today – and I had read that book. I learned nothing new.

To me, his speech seemed to be “on automatic”. It seemed just “another” talk to him, one he had probably given many times before. Granted, I was only one of hundreds to hear him, and most people I spoke with afterward were happy with the talk; some even talked of new insights they had received. I’m happy for them. It was, however, another opportunity for the speaker to speak with passion, and reach people who needed to hear some of the great words he has to say – that God has given him to say. I know he has been giving words in the past; I have read his books, and given copies of his speeches to others. But to me, last night, he was on automatic.

Like the author, we’ve all been blessed with some special words we could say. We all have some people who enter our life who need to hear those words. But sometimes, I think, we are all “on automatic”. We live our life impersonally – just punching the clock. We go through our day and our minds wander from the task at hand -- it just seems so boring. We don’t need to think to do it. And if we are working on some assembly line job, I guess that is ok. Where it is not ok, however, is when we deal with people, especially people who need our personal attention in what we do, and in what we say. And, I think to some degree, they all do.

Our inattention is especially sad when people have come to us in need and expectation: they have come needing our attention. And we just “punch the clock”, saying “yes dear” to our spouse, responding to our son’s concerns with a “that’s interesting”, or waiting for that part of the mass where we can wake up and say “Amen”. And all the while the people who came were looking to us, waiting for us to say: “I love you”, “You are so important to me”, or “I understand”. And from our words and our actions, they were just waiting for a hug. They wanted, they NEEDED, to know we cared. And we didn’t even know it.

Don’t put the blessings you have received in some back corner of your mind; you are meant to share them. You are a special person, and others need a share of your “special-ness”. Don’t disappoint them. Live your life personally, giving of some part of yourself to each person you meet. They may be on automatic and not even hear you, but for some, they may NEED to hear the concern in your voice; they may need to hear the love in your heart; they may need the hug. To your co-workers, your friends, your family, be someone who is always there for them, not a zombie. They need you. By giving of yourself, you show that you love God, you love them, and you love and respect yourself.

I do.

None of us lives for one’s self (Rom 14:7)